Hi, I’m Tom Curry, and I farm in southern New South Wales, in the triangle between Cootamundra, Junee and Temora. Our mixed farming operation spans around 3,700 acres, combining cropping and livestock. The land is varied, consisting mainly of loamy red soils with some clay. We also have lighter, not quite gravelly country out in the hills that we don’t crop, which is better suited to pasture.
We typically receive around 525mm of annual rainfall, but this year has been well below average. Across our three blocks, which are only about 20km apart, we’ve only seen between 230 and 315mm, and the lack of rainfall and the variability have had a noticeable impact. Despite the lower rainfall, we have stuck with our usual program. We try not to change it up too much because we have found it causes too many other headaches down the track.
The dry autumn has pushed things back a little, but the wheat in particular and even the barley and cereals have done really well considering the conditions, so I am hopeful there is a lot of potential there. The recent hot weather has started to take the edge off, but if we can get even 15-20mm, that will help us fill the heads and get a bit of weight in the seeds.
Recently, we have been focused on spraying, dealing with Heliothis in the canola, spraying out fallow and a little bit of vetch, and doing some general maintenance. We are keeping busy servicing machinery, repairing bins, and prepping for contract windrowing, which we expect to kick off shortly.
Apart from the obvious difficulties posed by variable weather, the cost of production remains one of the biggest challenges we face. Fertiliser, chemicals, and machinery prices continue to climb, while commodity prices are not overly generous at the moment. It’s a tough squeeze trying to cut costs without sacrificing yield, quality and overall crop potential. Like most growers, we are constantly looking for ways to be more efficient without compromising the integrity of our operation.
As a mixed-farming setup, we are not really suited to some of the emerging automation initiatives you are starting to see in larger grain operations. That’s not to say we have not looked at the opportunities, but with our paddocks ranging from 20 to 80 hectares and comprising mixed terrain with trees, it’s not a simple option. I think the camera sprays show promise, and I have heard good reports about them, but it’s a significant investment, and we need to be sure it’s the right fit before making that leap.
At the moment, we are focused on making the most of our available resources, which means making smart decisions to keep our operations productive and sustainable.